Day to Day
by TKipani
Summary: Seven days where Shiro and Allura were a little more than paladin and princess. Series of sequential drabbles/oneshots for Shallura Week 2016.
1. Day 1

These drabbles are vaguely connected and sequential. Either way, I am way too excited for Shallura Week 2016.

Day One - Discovery

* * *

Shiro was afraid of small creatures with multiple legs and wings, it seemed.

"Not _afraid_ ," he muttered once he had regained his composure.

Allura laughed behind her right hand. "Then how would you describe your reaction just now?"

To fully explore a planet that the team had come across, the paladins had decided to split up for a wider range of vision. Coran had explained that the planet was full of thick jungles that were impossible to navigate without the help of the native population. The only problem was that the population lived in hidden villages among the trees, and Coran could not establish any contact.

Allura insisted on joining the paladins for diplomatic reasons. Without a word or warning, Allura followed Shiro into his Black Lion. Shiro pointedly ignored Lance's grin and tried to fight his own smile as Allura naturally settled herself into his lion with him.

Not long after arriving, the pair concluded that they would have to exit the lion and continue on foot. Leaving a trail to be able to return, the two started on their way, wandering through the jungle.

Which, in turn, had led them to this situation.

Shiro adjusted his armor and struggled to not look at Allura.

"I was startled," he stated.

"So," Allura teased, "Afriad?"

"Wouldn't you be if _that_ landed on your shoulder?" Shiro frowned and aggressively pointed at the bug flying in the air. It reminded Shiro of a moth, only much larger, almost as big as his face, and with eight legs. Its four dark grey wings shimmered slightly as it flew, and small patterns of lines and circles decorated them.

Allura hummed in thought. Then, she raised her right hand into the air, palm up, as though she were asking for something. Within moments, the bug flew down and landed on her fingertips. Shiro's jaw dropped without his permission.

Using her left hand, Allura pat the top of the bug's head gently. The bug snuggled into her hand with pleasure. With a large grin, Allura looked up at Shiro with sparkling eyes.

A shiver traveled down his spine, and the paladin tried to tell himself that it was because of the creature in her hand.

Suddenly, Allura began to move toward Shiro, holding the bug out to him. With a gasp, Shiro flinched backwards. Before he could gather his dignity, Allura was laughing at him once more.

" _Don't_ ," he hissed, heat flooding to his cheeks.

Allura barely bit back her giggles. She moved her hand, and the bug flew off, traveling deep into the jungle. "Don't worry," Allura joked with a smirk, "I won't tell anyone." She winked and brushed by Shiro to continue on their way.

The Black Paladin was left with a thumping heart that may or may not have been because of the bug.

* * *

Let Space Parents be Space Nerds 2016


	2. Day 2

Day Two – Bridge

* * *

Allura went to only Shiro for answers to questions about Earth.

She used to go to the other paladins, but Hunk always ended up prattling on and on and on, which was fun sometimes, but other times, Allura just wanted a clear answer. Keith, however, used too few words and was prone to explaining things badly, like with answers that consisted of "and it's like… you know?". Then, with Lance and Pidge, Allura had fallen for one too many of their pranks.

So, she used Shiro as a link to Earth.

The Black Paladin had made it very clear that he would happily answer any and all her questions to the best of his ability. He used to stammer or scratch the back of his neck when she came to him, but soon it felt natural: just a normal part of the day.

There were questions asked in the control room, in the kitchen, over lunch, in the training room, and even in passing when brushing by one another in the halls of the castle.

Sometime they were simple like, "What color was the sky on Earth?". Other times, Shiro had to sit the princess down and go into fuller detail, like when she asked for the definition of a country.

Eventually, there was a shift. The subject of each question went from 'Earth' to 'Shiro'.

The questions transformed from "If there is no king, who rules Earth?" to "What kind of house did you live in?"

Honestly, Allura would not have noticed unless Coran hadn't walked into the lounge area where they were sitting next to one another one day.

"Asking Shiro about Earth again, princess?"

Allura opened her mouth to respond with a 'yes' but was interrupted by Shiro's low rumble of a laugh.

"No," he replied, "I'm just telling her about my family."

Allura's mouth clamped shut with a snap. Shiro turned back to her with a smile, probably to continue where he had left off. Allura scrambled to her feet, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her. "I-um…"

"Princess?" Shiro asked, eyebrows knit together in concern.

"We, um, shall we continue this another time?" She prattled, letting the words dribble out of her mouth, as she looked anywhere else but at him.

Shiro frowned. "Yeah, uh, that's fine. But are you-" Before he could finish his worried question, Allura was out the door, practically sprinting. Shiro glanced at Coran for some sort of answer, but the older Altean just shrugged and carried on his way.

The questions stopped and the days passed.

Now, Allura would only greet Shiro politely and sometimes ask about training or how his day has been.

Shiro was baffled.

"Princess," he called out to her one day. The lights in the castle were beginning to dim, signaling the paladins that it was time for them to go sleep. Shiro had caught Allura as she stood just outside her bedroom, heading inside for some well-deserved rest.

Allura had spun at the sound of her name, her light hair fanning around her as she moved. "Shiro?"

Shiro cleared his throat, silently encouraging himself to speak his mind. "May I ask you something?"

Blinking, Allura responded gently, "Why, of course you can." She watched as Shiro shifted his weight from foot to foot. After a beat, he took a few steps closer to her, causing her breath to hitch.

"Are you… Did I… do something?" Shiro's voice was barely above a whisper, adding a layer of familiarity that neither had ever felt with one another before.

"What do you mean?" Allura tilted her head, making sure to respond in the same low tone as Shiro.

The black paladin let out a breathy, nervous laugh. "This is-I mean-I'm probably just overthinking things, but I feel like, um, you're…. avoiding me? Maybe?" His eyes traveled down to his boots.

Allura abruptly lunged forward, grasping both of Shiro's hands within her own. "No!" she nearly shouted. With a gasp, she realized her loud tone and reeled back slightly but was sure not to let go of his hands.

Shiro, on the other hand, was frozen in shock. His eyes were wide and staring at the flustered princess who seemed to just be coming to terms with her actions. He watched her take a shaky breath and then let it out with one steady blow.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I, um, recognized the fact that I… might have been becoming a nuisance."

Shiro squeezed her hands and Allura's eyes shot up to meet his. His expression of shock was replaced with gentle eyes and a confused frown. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, I have been asking you some very _personal_ questions as of late, and I haven't once thought of your opinion on the matter, and I just… I don't want you to feel _obligated_ to answer such things and…" Allua's babbling slowly trailed off into silence. She bit her lip and glimpsed away.

"Allura," Shiro puffed breathlessly, "I wouldn't have answered anything that I didn't feel comfortable talking to you about." And Shiro was beginning to feel _very_ comfortable with Allura. He pushed the feeling down.

"Is it fine?" Allura glanced up at Shiro shyly. He laughed in response, pulling her hands closer to his body. Her chest swelled, and Allura felt her knees quiver.

"Always."

Only then did Allura take notice of the lack of distance between them. If she only took one more step… She really wanted to take that step…

And she might have if the sounds of the other paladins coming down the hallway didn't shake her from her stupor.

Flinching, Allura jerked her hands out of Shiro's and held them close to her chest.

"Ah, um, then, I-I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, ye-yeah! Of course," Shiro responded a bit too loudly, also recovering from his own trance.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Allura swallowed and bowed her head awkwardly. "Go-goodnight then, Shiro."

"Goodnight… Allura." Shiro smiled and turned on his heel, walking toward the direction of the other paladins' voices.

Allura shifted to enter her bedroom that lay just behind her. Before entering though, she took a moment to look down at her hands. They still were radiating with the warmth that Shiro had left, connecting her to him in way that she really, _really_ wanted more of.


	3. Day 3

Day Three – Duty

* * *

Shiro bit back a string of curses as he ducked down corridor after corridor of the Galra supply ship.

The paladins had come across the ship by accident, and in an almost cocky move, they decided to infiltrate the ship, steal any reliable information, and then destroy it.

They had split into teams: Hunk and Lance in the blue lion; Keith and Pidge in the green lion; and Shiro in his own lion on a lone mission to find and access a control panel for Pidge's hacking. Coran provided battle defenses should anything go wrong and Allura gave tactical advice through their communications from aboard the castle.

But, the sounds of Hunk and Lance's cries shook the team as they maneuvered the enemy ship.

"Lance! Hunk!" Shiro shouted into his communications. "What's going on?"

Over the chaos of what sounded like guns being fired, Hunk's shaky voice filtered through to Shiro's ear. _"We're… attacking… Lance… They're taking him!"_

Without a moment to lose, Allura's voice carried through the communications channel. _"I am sending you all the approximate location of Hunk. I can't reach Lance or find his location. This Galra tech is messing with my systems, so I can only give you this much."_ Her voice was strained, as though she were reprimanding herself.

"That's plenty Allura. Thank you," Shiro responded gently, forgetting for a second that it was a public channel. "Alright paladins," his tone hardening, "Converge on Hunk's location right now. We'll set up a plan from there."

By the time Shrio made it to where Hunk was, Pidge and Keith were already at his side, chests heaving from their sprint. Pidge was leaned over Hunk, assessing a wound on his right leg. Hunk looked battered, sitting on the floor drenched in sweat and his helmet lying on the floor next to him. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were shut tightly.

"Are you alright, Hunk?" Shiro asked, kneeling by the yellow paladin's side.

"Ugh. I'll… manage. But Lance…" His voice drifted away.

Shrio put a comforting hand on Hunk's shoulder and squeezed. "Don't worry. We'll get him back. You just worry about getting patched up."

Hunk responded with a groan.

Turning to Pidge, Shiro gave the youngest a firm clap on the back. "Pidge, do you think you can get Hunk back to your lion?"

"I will." They nodded, pressing their lips into a determined line. Shiro gave them an encouraging smile then turned to Keith. He moved to give Keith an order as well until the clatters of metallic Galra drones coming down the corridor made the paladins jump.

Instinctively, they moved to cover the injured yellow paladin. As the noises approached, Keith turned to Shiro. "I could lead them away," he murmured.

"You're not leading them anywhere." Shrio rebuked.

"Then at least let me go see if they're coming this way or not." Keith's eyes narrowed, practically challenging Shiro.

With a deep sigh, Shiro nodded. "Go see, then _come back_ ," he hissed.

Nodding, Keith silently moved away and slipped around a corner toward the sounds of the Galra. Shiro and Pidge then began to work on getting Hunk on his feet. Pidge whispered encouragement to the yellow paladin until he was standing, leaning on Pidge's shoulder for support.

"Allura," Shiro called into his communications.

" _I'm here."_

"Can you guide Pidge and Hunk back to the green lion?"

" _I'm sending a map to Pidge as we speak."_

A moment later, a hologram map popped up from Pidge's gauntlet. The green paladin looked over the map, memorizing every turn and formulating plans already. They looked at Shiro and sent him and positive smile. "I'll get Hunk back safely, you get Lance."

"We'll see you at the castle."

" _Shiro."_

Keith's voice shirred Shiro, making him straighten up. "What's the situation look like, Keith?"

" _They're not coming toward you guys. It actually looks like a few are heading away to the same location."_

Shiro felt a sense of dread wash over him. "Kei-"

" _I'm going to follow them! They might lead me to Lance's location."_

"Keith!" Shiro roared.

"Oh my god," Pidge grumbled under their breath.

"Keith. Do _not_ go off on your own." Shiro was fuming as he began to move with Pidge and Hunk toward the green lion.

" _If there's any chance that they could lead me to Lance, I have to take it."_

"Keith! _Keith_!" Shiro swore loudly when no response came. He opened his mouth to call for Allura, but she was already at work.

" _I'm sending you Keith's location, Shiro. He's moving deeper into the ship. I might not be able to pinpoint his place for long."_

"Thank you," Shiro breathed, trying to calm his anger. He checked that Pidge and Hunk knew their way back before breaking into a sprint toward the blinking red dot on his hologram map. Sharply cutting from hallway to hallway, Shiro kept a fierce eye on Keith's location until the small dot began to flicker.

"Princess?"

The dot faded.

"Allura!"

" _I just lost the location! But his last known position is just ahead of you. Take a right."_

Shiro followed her order and nearly shouted when he spotted two Galra drones coming his way. While crouching into a hidden nook, Allura's choppy voice echoed through his helmet.

" _Keith disappeared down… hallway slightly ahead of you and to the left. Tell me… you see."_

After the drones passed, Shiro peeked out of his spot and saw a ramp leading further down into Galra ship.

"It's a ramp going down into the ship. And you're already starting to break up on me, princess."

" _Yes, I can barely… your voice on my end. When… go down that way, you'll… completely cut off."_

" _The cloaking…last long…"_ Coran's voice sounded slightly panicked in the background of Allura's communication link.

" _You need… hurry Shiro."_

"Understood."

"… _have to… back…"_

Shiro couldn't catch Allura's message entirely as he traversed down the ramp.

* * *

Keith and Lance had indeed been down the ramp of the Galra ship. The drones had carried Lance into a cell and other drones were gathering to guard him. Shiro had found Keith ducking down behind some supply boxes. After swiftly smacking the back of his head and _promising_ a lecture later, the duo formulated a plan to escape with Lance.

Well, the plan wasn't so much of a plan and more of 'you take the guys on the right, I'll take the ones on the left, grab Lance, and book it out of here'.

The blue paladin was relatively uninjured, only unconscious. Halfway back to their lions, Lance had woken up and hazily argued that he was well enough to fly his lion. Keith frowned, but they didn't have a choice.

By the time Shiro made it back to the castle in his own lion, all the other paladins were gathered in the infirmary while Coran worriedly flitted between Hunk and Lance.

Shiro decided to visit Allura in the control room where, he could feel, she was flying the ship very far, _very_ quickly.

Allura gasped as Shiro staggered into the main control room, exhausted and tattered.

She moved away from her control panel, near-sprinting toward him. Shiro expected worried questions or maybe a 'good job'.

Instead, the Altean princess flung her arms around his neck and slammed her body into his, nearly toppling the both of them.

The hug was lasting a lot longer than a simple 'thank goodness you're safe, paladin' hug, which Allura had given in the past on occasion. No, this was fundamentally different hug that involved tight arms and bodies pressed _oh-so_ close to each other. Allura figured she'd provide an acceptable explanation later, but she just _needed_ to hold Shiro now.

She almost pulled away until Shiro's strong arms wrapped around her waist bringing her closer still. He let out breathy laugh, allowing the gust of air to brush the crook of Allura's neck. He felt her shiver, which only made Shiro want to pull her closer.

"I did my job," he joked with another laugh, "I brought them back."

"Your _'job'_ is to come back safely," Allura rebutted with a snort. She burrowed her face into his collarbone, gifting herself this guilty pleasure. "You have to come back. Always." She could feel the rapid pulse of Shiro's heart from the veins in his neck. She grinned, glad that he could not see her giddy expression.

"I will." His voice rumbled through from his chest to hers. "I'll always come back to you."


	4. Day 4

This one is more of a direct sequel to the last chapter, Day 3.

Day Four – Distance

* * *

There was nothing between Allura and Shiro, and that bewildered the blue paladin beyond belief.

"There's something going on with them," Lance had commented offhandedly as he wondered through the workshop where Pidge and Hunk were currently occupied.

"I don't know," Hunk responded, as he fiddled with a small machine that Pidge asked him to disassemble for parts. "I think they just get along really well."

But Lance swore up and down that there was no way that they were _just_ friends.

"Give it, like, a week."

Well, one week later, Lance had gotten himself caught on that Galra supply ship, thus he and Hunk had to spend about two days recovering. And no one was frowning more than Lance when he noticed the sudden distance between the princess and black paladin ever since.

"Don't you think it's strange?"

"Oh my god. Can't you drop it?" Keith had answered, annoyed and tired of hearing the topic brought up over and over during the last couple of days.

All the paladins, sans Shiro who had elected to discuss new training modules with Coran, were gathered in the lounge area after completing a few flight exercises.

Lance was pacing, finger tapping his chin, as though he were formulating a plan, which was what Hunk feared. "Oh come on, _please_ tell me that you guys noticed _something_."

Pidge didn't mention that they had caught Shiro and Allura nearly pressing up against one another on the couch about two weeks ago, discussing the difference between the oceans of Earth and Altea.

Hunk didn't mention that he had walked in on Shiro and Allura one week before as they were nearly toppling over in laughter over a joke that he didn't hear, holding each other a little more familiarly than mere friends.

Keith didn't mention the intimate smiles of admiration between Shiro and Allura when he witnessed them spar early in the morning. Spars that had seemed to stop after the incident on the Galra ship a few days ago.

The silence of his friends made Lance groan.

"I don't see how it's your concern," Keith finally added with a sigh. "Whatever's going on is between the two of them."

"I'm worried." Lance's sudden shift to a more serious tone caught the attention of everyone in the room. "I don't like it when they act all awkward with each other. And I don't think they like it either."

A contemplative silence filled the room.

The entrance to the lounge sliding open made all the paladins jump. Shiro stood at the door, a tablet listing new training drills in his hand and a curious eyebrow raised. "What's going on?" he asked, slightly suspicious.

Glances were shared among the other paladins. The responses Shiro received were collective shrugs and strained smiles.

Narrowing his eyes, he shifted his gaze from one paladin to the next. When he couldn't garner any information, he sighed. "Alright, well, get cleaned up for dinner. You guys did great today." Shiro turned to exit when Allura appeared at the door as well.

The black paladin nearly shouted when he saw her. Springing away, he backed up until his back accidentally hit the doorframe. "Pr-princess?"

Allura looked just as shocked at him, either from his presence or his reaction, no one could tell. "Oh, um," she stuttered. "I was, uh, going to tell the paladins to gather for dinner soon."

Shiro cleared his throat, collecting his wits. "Yeah. No, I… got that covered. No problem."

"Oh, I see."

The two stood at the door fidgeting, Allura with her hands in front of her and Shiro with his boot kicking invisible dirt on the floor, pointedly not looking at one another.

"Well! Dinner then!" Allura yelped.

"Yes!" Shiro answered with as much volume as her.

The princess spun on her heel and rigidly marched away. After a beat, Shiro turned back to his teammates who were staring with wide eyes at the interaction. Clearing his throat for the second time, he spoke as confidently as he could, "Get ready for dinner." Then, he turned and walked out of the room, letting the metallic door slide close behind him.

Lance gestured wildly at where Allura and Shiro were standing while looking toward the others, his facial expression clearly asking 'Did you _see_ that!?'.

Keith groaned, Pidge rolled their eyes, and Hunk only gave his friend a lopsided smile and small shrug. They began to rise from their seats and head out of the room.

" _Guys_ ," Lance whined as he followed them out of the lounge.

* * *

Lance eyed Shiro and Allura carefully as he shoveled some of the florescent goop that Coran and Hunk had cooked up.

The entire team was sitting at the regular long table for dinner with Allura at the head and Shiro directly to her right as always. Hunk, Coran, and Pidge were engaged in a lively conversation about a new addition they were working on for the castle's communication network for easier interaction with each other and native populations of nearby planets.

A sharp nudge to Lance's right made with wince.

"You're staring," Keith hissed quietly.

"That's the point," Lance rebutted. "They're not even talking."

Keith opened his mouth to add something but decided against it. He threw his hands up in a 'I give up' gesture and returned to his dinner. Ignoring the red paladin's response, Lance returned to his observing, noting that Allura and Shiro seemed to be leaning away from each other.

He narrowed his eyes. He was getting to the bottom of this if it killed him.

* * *

Lance was the kind of person whose mind would become too occupied with thoughts to sleep.

He paced in his room, his slippers making quiet squeaking sounds as he turned. With a frustrated sigh, he decided to walk about the castle to tire himself out. As he opened his door, peeking out into the darkness, he had second thoughts; images of all the horror movies he'd ever watched flashed through his mind. Puffing out his chest for confidence, Lance stepped out into the dark hallway.

The castle was actually really interesting at night. More than scary, it felt serene. A gentle glow from the wall lights comforted Lance as he found himself wandering from room to room. Eventually, he found an open door coming up in the hallway to the right. As he approached, a gentle murmur of a voice carried through the door.

The fear of a sudden paranormal attack made Lance's heart begin to pump rapidly. Carefully, he crept forward. The voice cleared slightly allowing Lance to realize that it was a female voice, but it still wasn't well defined enough to hear what was being said.

By the time Lance was at the door, a second voice carried through to the hallway.

Crouching low, Lance peeked into the room. He was surprised that he had never seen this room before. It was wide and had small tables scattered about. It reminded Lance of a café he had went to in the middle of the night once when sneaking out of the Garrison. What was truly breathtaking though were the ceiling-high windows that created a wall of stars.

Of course, Lance was more concerned about the pair that he saw at the absolute end of the room, the vision of space through the windows acting as their backdrop.

Allura and Shiro stood in front of each other, a little too close to merely be having a normal conversation. Their voices were too hushed to understand anything, even at Lance's distance.

Allura was speaking, her hands clutched tightly at her chest. After a few moments, her voice trailed away and her head dipped low. Shiro's arms rose up as though to pull her into him, but he hesitated. His fingers clenched and unclenched until his hands finally settled gently on her shoulders. He smiled, and he leaned down to be eye level with Allura, faces mere inches apart.

Whatever he said made Allura giggle. She covered her mouth with her hand, and Shiro soon joined her in her laughter.

Without another thought, Lance pulled away from his peeking spot at the door. He turned sharply and immediately made his way back to his room.

The next morning, Coran called everyone to the central control room to proudly announce the castle's updated communications system.

Lance stood near the back of the room, arms crossed and with a neutral expression. While the team waited for Pidge and Hunk to arrive, Coran was busy typing away on a monitor, and Allura and Shiro were standing by his side, listening to him proudly babble.

The black paladin and the princess were standing shoulder to shoulder. At some point, Shiro commented on something and lightly bumped his shoulder into Allura's, making her smile and chuckle.

Lance kept his eyes trained on them.

"Happy now?" Keith asked with a smirk as he walked up to Lance.

The blue paladin only grunted, expression not changing and fully engrossed.

Keith raised a questioning eyebrow, but Lance only kept a sharp eye on Shiro and Allura as they started a conversation about strategies for exploring planets that they had no information about.

As Lance watched, he wasn't sure if he was more interested in the distance between Shiro and Allura or the sudden lack thereof.

He grinned.


	5. Day 5

Day Five – Parent

* * *

Shiro had a distinct memory of one particular day before he had left on his fateful Kerberos mission. He had called his mother, mostly to reassure her that everything would be fine and that he would, at some point during the mission, be able to send messages back down to Earth to be relayed to her and his father.

His gentle mother warned him that he'd better send her something at every moment he could. The conversation shifted, and they talked about his grandmother's health ("She's as fit as a fiddle! But she had another fight with the neighbor yesterday over the persimmon tree."), his mother's work as a nurse, and finally settled into talking about Shiro's personal life.

"When are you going to find yourself a nice girl and settle down, son?"

Shiro rolled his eyes and chuckled humorlessly through the speaker. "Mom, please. I'm a little too busy to be getting into a relationship, let alone getting married."

His mother had clicked her tongue, which made Shiro laugh. "I know, I know," she relented, "But I just hope that you one day understand the _bliss_ of having someone to come back to."

"I suppose you'll have to do for now, Mom," Shiro joked with a smile.

His mother laughed loudly and the conversation carried on.

Shiro fiddled with the small hologram projector in his hand, having let his thoughts wander. The hologram, which showed flight plans that the former paladins used as provided by Coran, flickered with inactivity.

"Shiro?"

The black paladin started, shocked to see Allura standing at the other side of the dining table where he was currently sitting.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked, her eyebrows knit together.

Shiro lifted the hologram projector lamely and sent her a crooked, strained smile. "Just going over some stuff Coran gave me."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because it looked to me as though you were very lost in thought."

Letting out a breathy laugh, Shiro shifted in his seat. Allura was as observant as ever. "Yeah," he admitted. "I was thinking about my mom."

Allura's expression softened, and she shifted down into chair directly across from Shiro. "Your mother?" she asked, "The healer?" Her eyes flickered with familiarity as she recalled some conversations she and Shiro had in the past.

"Nurse," Shiro corrected with a chuckle. "Yeah."

Allura folded her hands together. "What about her were you thinking about?"

Shiro hummed, turning off the hologram and toying with the small machine. "I was thinking of the last phone call I had with her."

"Phone call?" Allura tilted her head in confusion.

The black paladin had to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid grinning at the adorable expression. "It's like the communication link that we use through our helmets" Shiro lifted the devise in his hand. "It's called a cellular phone and it's a device about this size."

Allura frowned. "That must have been inconvenient to carry with you."

"Not really," Shiro grinned, "It could also be used to send text messages, access information, and even play games."

Allura tapped her chin, probably imagining what a cell phone may have looked like. "So," she started, "You communicated with your mother. What did you talk about?"

"A lot of things. My mom liked to talk."

Chortling, Allura rested her elbows on the table and set her chin down in her hands. "I wish to know what Earthlings talk to their parents about."

Shiro let out a hearty laugh. "It can't be very different than what you talked to your father about."

A flicker of shadow passed over Allura's eyes, and for a moment, Shiro regretted bringing up the deceased king of Altea. But, the princess quickly recovered, a fond smile spreading across her face. "Well let's see," she began, "I talked to my father about flowers and upcoming festivals." She let out an exasperated puff of air. "And when things became a bit more serious, we spoke of politics, duties, and marriage."

"Marriage?" Shiro gawked. He didn't even want to think about the butterflies in his stomach that began to flit about as the word slipped out of Allura's mouth.

She nodded, her eyes gazing off to the right, recalling specific, frustrating conversations with her father. "My father never like to pressure me, but I could tell that the topic was being stressed by some royal advisors. I had to sit through several marriage interviews with suitors when I hit marriageable age." Allura let out a deep sigh and moved her gaze back to Shiro. "Is there such burden for marriage on Earth?"

Shiro let out a borderline-wheezy laugh. "Sometimes. It depends on the culture." He scratched the back of his neck. "But you I have something in common I guess. The last conversation I had with my mother, she kept asking me when I was going to get married."

"Did you," Allura's voice lowered slightly as she leaned back into her chair and lowered her gaze, "have someone you were contemplating marriage with?"

"No!" Shiro nearly launched up onto his feet but held back, instead just slamming his left hand down onto the table more forcefully than he had hoped.

The Altean princess blinked, eyes wide and heart racing.

Shiro cleared his throat and leaned back. "I mean–I wasn't… I didn't… have anyone," he finished weakly. He peeked at Allura. "Did you?"

Allura shook her head vigorously, her long hair falling onto her face. "I, um," she stammered, tucking some strands behind her ear. "I always come off as a little too outspoken and forceful."

"I-" Shiro stopped.

 _I like that about you._

That's what he was about to say. And that was only one step away from _I like you_.

A heat began to travel up Shiro's neck. "I find those traits admirable," he mustered out.

Allura beamed at him then began to fiddle with the ends of her hair. "Thank you. And," she locked eyes with him, "I'm glad you didn't have anyone."

Shiro opened his mouth at the same time that the dining room door slid open. A laughing Hunk and Lance strolled in. Both paladins jumped when they realized that Shiro and Allura were already occupying the room.

"Hey guys! What are you do-"

Hunk's joyous greeting was cut off by Lance's hand over his mouth. The blue paladin smirked at the duo at the table, "Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt."

"Not at all," Allura answered with trained political grace as she stood from her seat. "I forgot that I was originally looking for Coran anyway." She looked at Shiro and sent him a small smile. He returned it with a lopsided grin.

Allura gave Hunk a small pat on the shoulder as she brushed by him out of the room. The dining room was left in silence as the boys watched her leave.

Lance returned to peering at Shiro. " _Sooo_ -"

"Don't." Shiro chided as he turned the small hologram machine in his hand back on.

* * *

Two chapters in one day! Woo!

I actually managed to not make this like 2,000 words.


	6. Day 6

Day 6 – Fantasy

* * *

Shiro liked to daydream. He was just never obvious about it like Lance or, on occasion, Keith.

After his escape from the Galra, the daydreams devolved onto something just as terrifying as the dreams that would keep him up for hours on end. As time wore on, the daydreams shifted to something gentler, however.

Shiro couldn't tell if it was better or worse.

He couldn't tell which left him in a weaker sate of mind: the visions of Haggar and her dark magic fusing itself into his body or the sight of his family, laughing together over dinner during the holidays. Both images pained him.

Sometimes, Shiro like to try and think about different scenarios. Like, perhaps when he made it back to Earth, he would go to his parents' home and just stay there for a few days.

He had once walked into a conversation between Lance and Hunk sharing similar thoughts. Lance sighed dreamily telling the yellow paladin that he would immediately eat some of his mother's cooking as soon as he got home. Hunk laughed and said that he'd be happy just to lie in his own bed for once.

Shiro, the next day over dinner, joked about a 'team road trip' after returning to Earth. The table then erupted into excited conversations about where they would want to go and what was worth seeing. Allura and Coran shared confused glances, and the rest of dinner consisted of paladins trying to explain what exactly a 'road trip' was to the Alteans.

"A tour of Earth seems very interesting," Allura commented while tapping her chin. She and Shiro were walking side by side after dinner to the training deck for some evening exercise.

Shiro gave Allura a sidelong glance. "It'd take a long time to tour the entire Earth. But a few days going around to see some sights does sound pretty good."

Allura hummed. She grinned at Shiro. "I actually think I would rather see your hometown."

A sudden image of Allura walking into his family home, wide-eyed and smiling, entered Shiro's mind. He imagined his mother's excited squeal as she ran down the stairs to throw her arms around Shiro. She would then, of course, turn to Allura and pull the Altean into a backbreaking hug, not even thinking about etiquette or cultural differences. Shiro's mom would insist on Allura staying for dinner, and Allura would happily accept. Shiro would help his mother in the kitchen while Allura sat in the living room with his grandmother, as the older woman would brag about the garden that she worked tirelessly on. They might take a walk through it. Over dinner, Allura would sit by his side and joyfully share anything and everything about Altea. Shiro's mom would wiggle her eyebrows at Shiro and gesture inconspicuously at Allura. Shiro would laugh and scratch the back of his neck. Under the table though, he would reach out and grab Allura's hand.

By the time Allura and Shiro made it to the training deck, Shiro was desperately trying to control the blush on his face.

* * *

After his rather detailed daydream, Shiro's mind seemed to not want to pay attention to anything else. It was too occupied with other images.

Like the image of Allura gasping at the initial sight of earth.

Or Allura at an Earth beach for the first time, sharply inhaling at the chill of the ocean's waters hitting her bare feet.

Or Allura sitting by him watching the sunset, the hues of orange and red bouncing off her silver hair.

Shiro's hair was in a constant state of disarray due to him continuously running his hands though it.

Pidge had, at one point, asked him about his disheveled and absentminded condition. Shiro avoided the question to the best of his ability, but the green paladin narrowed their eyes, not truly letting it go.

And so, Shiro was pacing in his room, trying to pull himself together because it had gotten so bad that he had nearly got a concussion while spacing out during a spar with the combat simulator. Just because the princess _walked_ by.

The black paladin took some deep breaths. This was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just a result of an overactive imagination. He needed to focus on what was important, like fighting Zarkon and training his team.

Shiro didn't have the time to be thinking about his future with Allura.

He stopped pacing.

His future _with_ Allura?

He groaned and flopped facedown onto his bed.

* * *

"Shiro?"

The black paladin jumped, turning mechanically to face Allura.

She was frowning slightly as she approached him in the quiet hallway leading him to his room.

"Um, may I speak to you?"

"Of course," Shiro replied automatically.

Allura's brows furrowed. Nonetheless, she gestured Shiro to follow her and led him to the lounge room.

It was surprisingly peaceful and somewhat dark due to the castle's lighting system beginning to dim, preparing for its simulated 'night time'.

Allura stepped silently to a couch and sat, motioning for Shiro to sit beside her. Shiro plodded behind her and plopped down nearly two feet away. Allura's frown deepened.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not at all."

Silence hung heavily in the air. Slowly, Allura scooted closer to Shiro. The black paladin visibly flinched backwards.

Allura's frown melted into a hurt expression, and Shiro winced as the princess pulled back. She shifted her gaze to her hands resting on her lap.

He thought she might stand up and walk away. He was dreading it.

Shiro opened his mouth to say something. _God, anything_.

"Shiro, was I wrong to believe that we were… close?"

The black paladin stared at Allura, mouth still wide open. Again, a thought of her laughing happily as he led her through a park that he once played in when he was a child appeared. Shiro squeezed his eyes shut painfully.

"Of course we're close," Shiro managed. "We're teammates and co-leaders." He sent a weak smile.

Allura's eyes shifted back up to him, her expression still upset. Once again, the princess moved closer to Shiro. This time, Shiro only stiffened as he watched her shift nearer until their thighs were almost touching.

Allura hung her head as if she was going to rest it on his shoulder, but she kept a few inches of space between them. Her hair was brushing Shiro's left shoulder. If he lifted his hand, he would have been able to tangle his fingers in the fallen strands. He took a deep breath, but it hardly did him any good since he could only smell her: something flowery yet distinctly earthy.

Shiro clenched his hands.

They sat in thick stillness.

"Allura." Shiro's voice came out more horse than he thought it would.

"Yes?" She didn't shift.

"I've been thinking about Earth." Shiro felt his shoulders relax for the first time in days.

"Do you miss it?"

Shiro fidgeted in his seat.

"I miss Altea." Allura's voice was heavy. If she hadn't already cried harshly for her fallen planet night after night following awakening from her sleep, she might have let some tears fall then and there.

"Do you think that you'll ever make another planet your home?"

Allura's eyes shot up to meet Shiro's. Her multicolored irises darted to and fro, searching his face for something. Shiro wondered if he was as decipherable as he felt.

Finally, Allura's gaze dropped. "The war against Galra will continue for a very long time."

"But-" Shiro bit down on his lip unforgivingly. He hadn't meant to speak.

"But, it would be… nice."

Shiro's eyes widened. Allura was deliberately keeping her head lowered, hiding behind a wall of hair. The black paladin lifted his fingers, feeling the soft tresses against his left hand. He found her cheek and cupped it, guiding her face to look at him once more. Her cheeks were adorably colored and the pink markings below her eyes seemed to be paler in color and glowing more brightly than usual.

Another image emerged in Shiro's mind. This time it was Allura standing in front of him. Light from windows poured in behind her. They may have been in a house, or maybe an apartment, or maybe even a castle. It didn't matter. She was beaming as she stepped toward him and adjusted the collar of his shirt. When she finished she didn't step back, only smiled up at him. A silver band on her ring finger shimmered in the daylight.

"Shiro?"

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to imagine anymore.

"Shiro?" Allura asked again.

He pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

Remember when it was Shallura Week and I was updating this everyday? Ohhohohoho…

I really wanted to stay away from serious tones and keep it lighthearted buuuutttt…

Until next time!


	7. Day 7

This is a _direct_ continuation of the last chapter!

Day 7 – Change/Beginning

* * *

Well.

Huh.

Hmm…

Shiro was pacing desperately. It was something that he did when he was deep in thought.

Except his mind was blank.

Well, maybe not entirely.

Shiro was thinking about a faint brush of lips, soft hands on his chest, and hushed excuses from both parties explaining that they needed to go to bed. They had a busy day tomorrow of training and… stuff.

The black paladin was anxiously clenching the front of his shirt to keep himself from furiously running his fingers through his hair. His chest was vibrating with every quickened heartbeat. His fingertips and lips were on fire. He felt like there was a possibility of actually combusting right then and there in his bedroom. Shiro wondered who would be the first to find his remains.

His eyes landed on the door of his bedroom briefly. He _could_ go to see, maybe talk…

No.

Nope.

Nooo.

This was a slippery slope. A _long_ fall.

Who was he kidding? He already _kissed_ the Altean princess. At this point, he had practically willingly thrown himself over the ledge.

How did this happen? How could he have let it get so far?

Shiro admitted to being… attracted to Allura from the beginning. But, honestly, how could he not? But then she saved his life, on numerous occasions now since that first time when she threw him into an escape pod at the expense of her own capture.

She was powerful. She was weak. She was kind. She was frigid. She was beautiful. She was clumsy. She was _Allura, only princess of Altea_.

And Shiro, the black paladin of Voltron, was irrevocably and forlornly in love with her.

Shiro took a deep breath and let it out with one shaky blow.

Admittedly without thinking, Shiro sprinted to his door. With a tap of a button, the metallic door slid open. A choked squeak from the hallway didn't disrupt Shiro's hasty dash in time. His body slammed into a smaller one, taking both of them down. He wrapped his arms around the smaller body, and he managed to twist during the fall so he could land on his back. He hit the ground hard, with the added weight only further pushing the air out of his lungs harshly.

He gasped and coughed. It was only then did he notice the shining silver hair sprawled out across his chest.

"Allura?" Shiro gasped between coughs.

The Altean princess didn't move. Her hands had gripped the front of his shirt during their fall and were now covering her lowered face.

"Allura," Shiro asked again, worry bubbling in his chest, "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Allura shook her head but didn't lower her hands. Shiro lifted his torso off the ground, propping himself up on his elbows and forearms. He tilted his head to try to peek at her face. He whispered her name once more.

Slowly, Allura lifted herself. She was facing him but her dark hands were still obstructing the view of her face. After a beat, her fingers parted, revealing her multicolored eyes and a glimpse of a blush on her cheeks.

Shiro was now very aware of their position. On the floor. With her on top of him. Her thighs straddling his waist. Her hips locked perfectly against his.

He choked back a moan and instead blubbered for words, sputtering out sounds.

"I am so sorry," he managed.

Allura shook her head once more. "N-no. It was me. I mean, I am at fault. I was, um, at your door a-and um… I was just… I wasn't there for long! I just wanted…" The princess uncharacteristically prattled, her hands finally leaving her face to gesture wildly.

Neither made any indication of moving.

Shiro swallowed harshly. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak. He was abruptly cut off when the princess shifted.

She put her hands against his chest, using him to push herself up and put her weight on her knees. She bit her lip and shifted her eyes away, the markings below her eyes quickly gaining luminance.

Shiro grit his teeth and tried to hold back the noises boiling in the back of his throat. He told himself to take _steady_ breaths. Keep… _thoughts_ out of his mind. But the fact that Allura still wasn't getting up wasn't helping. The fact that her hips found an even more… comfortable position against his wasn't helping. The fact that she never took her hands off of him, only slid them downward to rest on his lower stomach, wasn't helping. That fact that she was softly, _slowly_ , sighing his name. Was. Not. Helping.

"Allura," Shiro growled, shocking himself at the hoarse sound of his own voice, " _please_ …"

Allura's eyes widened, her blush riding up her neck to the tips of her ears. "Shiro," she murmured, "why did you kiss me?"

A smothered groan escaped his lips. "Allura, you _know_ why." Shiro squeezed his eyes shut, still trying to keep some semblance of control.

"No," Allura leaned forward, "I don't. Please tell me."

"Are you just forcing me to say it?" Shiro kept his eyes shut, afraid of the tantalizing sight that was literally lying in front of him.

"Shiro."

 _Fuck._

Shiro bit his lip. "I'm in love with you. _God_ , I'm so in love with you, Allura."

Allura slammed onto him, lips messily crashing onto his. Sick of holding back, Shiro gripped her waist, pulling her as tightly as he could against his body. His body fell back slightly, back now fully pressed down on the metallic floor of the castle.

It was absurd, objectively. He, a man who through unfortunate circumstances was captured and tortured by an unforgiving alien race, was now kissing _a princess_ on a very _public floor_ of _her_ _castle_ in the middle of the night.

But the ludicrous circumstances didn't matter when Allura was gasping against his lips, running her hands through his hair, down his neck, and across his chest.

Allura pulled back breaking the kiss. Shiro let out a vague whining sound that only made Allura's smile widen.

She cupped his face between her hands. "My paladin… Shiro, I love you."

"Takashi," Shiro rasped, "Call me Takashi."

Allura smirked bringing her lips teasingly close to his. "Takashi."

Shiro lunged, pressing his lips hungrily against hers once more.

"OHMYGOD!"

Allura and Shiro jumped, pulling apart.

By the time they turned to see who had so _rudely_ interrupted them, they only managed to see a blue robe and some lion slippers swiftly disappear around a corner.

Shiro groaned and threw his head back, hitting it softly on the floor.

Allura giggled behind a hand before sitting up, moving to stand. Shiro bit back a complaint and watched her rise to her feet. She held out a hand to help him up, and he gratefully took it. After he stood though, he was sure not to let go.

"I suppose we were asking for an interruption," Allura laughed, glancing down at the floor where they had been.

"Next time we'll be more careful." The words flew out of Shiro's mouth before he could even stop them. A blush blossomed on his cheeks. "I-I mean-"

Allura squeezed his hand. "Yes we will." She smiled at him, face about as red as his.

Shiro thought that he probably looked like an idiot, grinning down at her.

The harsh sound of hurried hands knocking on doors interrupted them.

"SHIRO AND ALLURA ARE GOING TO REPOPULATE ALTEA!"

* * *

Whoooo! This was a blast. These seven chapters have made me write more than I have in a long time. I couldn't make the deadline with a chapter a day but whatever. Every week is Shallura Week.

Cheers~


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